The End of Everything
by Kimra
Summary: In a single move, everything can end. They'd known it all along, but it didn't mean, they where ready.


I know I have no right to post this story, but the fact is that it's already in the works. So since I'm already giving it time, I may as well give it an audience. I'd write it either way, this way I'm just sharing.

I hope someone likes it. It's a story idea I've been working on for ages and ages and ages, so I hope it turns out okay.

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**The End of Everything**

Part 1

**by Kimra**

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She had been drinking a milkshake, her attention alternating between the man in a booth at the back of the arcade and the twirling patterns her straw left in the thick chocolate concoction.

By far he was more interesting to watch but she also knew that there was less danger in watching her milkshake. After all they where supposed to be enemies, even if she never felt enmity towards him and he never really seemed to be trying to hurt her. Everyone else assumed, and somehow it was their safe ground. She was in love with him but could deal with bickering, he probably didn't think much of her, but seemed happy enough to bicker with her all the same.

A waitress approached him, fixing her skirt, shifting it and neatening it, with a pad of paper in her hand and a coffee pot in the other. She offered him a flirtatious smile and Serena tilted her head to watch the display. He didn't raise his head, didn't shift but to push his coffee cup closer to the girl. She seemed good natured enough filled his cup and turned away. Then as if nothing had happened he picked the drink up and was drinking again, the news paper unfolded before him and his attention on the ink smeared pages.

Serena pushed out a hard sigh looking back to her milkshake. Andrew was behind the counter, cooking it seemed, and the others where strangely late.

She didn't like them being late, but couldn't say anything, after all it was usually her being late anyway. Besides this way she had a chance to watch Darien without anyone else taking notice. Andrew was the only problem, but that boy was always to busy dealing with hordes of teenagers to notice something she hid so well.

"Want anything else sweetie?" A female voice asked politely and Serena looked up to find the waitress had made her way around the room in a very short time. Her table up by the front of the arcade should have taken longer. Either she was staring without noticing or the girl was fast.

"I'm fine thank you!" Serena chirped, her smile broadening for the girl.

Glass broke and Serena jumped her attention trying to pinpoint the noise, the waitress turning her attention to locate the broken item as well. Nothing came to their attention and Serena noticed that a lot of people where looking for the source.

Someone at the counter gasped, and Serena looked to where they did.

The next moment went slowly for her, shock and fear coiling inside her without any control of the emotion. What ever had broken was irrelevant suddenly as something came flying through the main doors. Glass shattered across the linoleum floor sprinkling the room and people. Another shape, an orange blur, followed the first and Serena's battled trained eyes knew what was happening.

She went to jump up before the first figure had even hit the counter but the waitress stumbled back and knocked her into the wall. And before she could get her chance again things had gotten worse.

Zoisite appeared in the broken door way, his grin distorted with pleasure his eyes watching, careful pink orbs. Her exit was blocked and as the figure slammed against the counter rose to her feet and the youma that had followed mirrored the action Serena felt her chest constricting.

Unabided her eyes jumped to Darien and realised his eyes had been on her, but they where leaving as she looked to him and he was analysing the scene with fast attention.

She pushed the waitress off her body and tried to move and a shard of crystal slammed into the wall behind her.

"No moving little girl." Zoisite warned his grin fading into intense concentration. "This is going to be fun. And I want you all to see."'

"Zoisite!" Mina's voice demanded and the man was focused on the orange clad sailor scout again. "Leave them alone." She ground out, taking the stance of a warrior her eyes fierce with protective instincts.

Serena's heart jumped her mind trying to find a way out, a way to help. She wanted to know how it had happened, how Mina had fallen into this fight without anyone knowing but it wasn't important, not now.

"Very well brat, have your battle." Zoisite sneered and the youma attacked, blades flying towards Mina.

Serena tried to move, her instincts to protect her friend outweighing any concern for herself but Mina dodged the blades easily landing on one of the booth tables with a delicate flare. Serena calmed and her mind caught up. She looked carefully, turning to Zoisite to be sure the attention was not on her and then with careful hands she began to reach below the table.

If Mina was alone the others hadn't been called, where ever they where they needed to be here. She managed to snag the edge of her bag with an extended finger as Mina dodged another spray of blades. People where getting injured, and people where getting cut as they sank further from the battle.

The injury of others spurred Serena to help, she wanted to, was ready to, when a glare from her friend froze her and instead she did what she had to. She managed to pull her bag close enough to reach the treasured communicator.

"What will you do now? Without your little friends?"

"I guess I'll just beat you on my own." Mina replied with a sneer of her own, her eyes hard jewels as she whipped her heart chain out at the youma restraining it.

"Silly girl." Zoisite was so sure of himself. Serena tried to keep calm, her fingers locating the cool plastic communicator and opening it, eyes always fixed on Zoisite. A move from him and she knew she had to freeze, knew she couldn't be caught because it was too important.

Mina was struggling with the youma, trying to keep her ground against it, trying to keep it bound within her heart chain. But anyone watching could tell she was struggling more then the youma, and Zoisite wasn't even putting effort in, just watching, appreciating.

The youma surged forwards against the chain and Mina flipped back out of its way, landing on Andrews precious counter. Completely in character she managed, in the midst of the battle, to flash the arcade guy a quick grin of apology before she was bounding to the next spot, the next attack point.

Serena ran her fingers over the buttons lightly, trying to find the right one, the emergency one because if she hit the wrong one and the others answered the call there would be no way to avoid Zoisites attention.

"This the best you have?" Mina demanded jumping across the room, over the youma in a move that looked almost casual to the untrained.

Zoisite only smiled, a twisted smile that made Serena freeze and look about, her search for a button forgotten in the fear of her friends life, but nothing appeared and Mina was once again engaged by the youma.

A little breath of uncertainty and Serena pressed down on the emergency button closing the communicator as quickly as she had, in case anyone was foolish enough to try and respond. If things went well Amy would track her down and Lita and Ray would come with her.

Things didn't go well, the thing that gave it away first was the beeping noise that broke through the room almost instantly. For a heart stopping moment Serena thought it was her communicator, and realised it wasn't. She thought it was Mina's then, but the noise was coming from somewhere else.

The battle seemed to pause, Mina's eyes jumping with Serena's and Zoisites to an ignored bag near the counter. Half the arcade was looking but the neatly arranged bag meant more to two girls then anyone else could understand.

Mina ever the battler was fast to continue, to overcome the shock and know what had to be done.

"Is that your pager Zoi-Boy? I think your wench queens calling you home."

Serena was kind of proud and horrified at the same time at Mina. Apparently what Mina thought had to be done, was insult Zoisite.

"Mind your tongue little girl, or I'll kill one of these, humans." He had a boy in his arms before either girl could react and Serena froze. There was no way she could transform in time, no way she could make it in time in her human form. If she moved she might make him respond too quickly, harm without thinking of the child's benefit as a shield against the orange soldier.

Mina paused, the youma too paused, letting it's boss play his games.

"Or maybe I'll kill the bitch who owns the pager-" he cringed at the incessant noise. "She stumbled upon my preparations for you a while ago, and has been indisposed since."

Serena gasped by accident and Zoisites attention was on her horror stricken face. He smiled, his eyes going over her.

"Or maybe this one- she looks so much like you, it might be worth it." He went to lunge and Mina held him back with her chain, horror on her face but determination as well. Serena moved just as quickly as Mina, her body out of Zoisites reach before he was even restrained by the golden chain. She ducked under the booths table, the only retreat her confined place could offer and re-emerged on the other side of the table her feet on the chair, ready to evade the next attack. Ready to move. It was an action she shouldn't have made, but had to. She should have played helpless and frozen, but the risk was too great, if she got caught she couldn't help her friends, or these people.

Amy was missing, Amy's bag was resting by a stool at the counter tucked away out of site but still there. Somehow Zoisite had gotten his hands on her friend. With one friend possibly captured, two missing, and another in the midst of battle Serena knew she could not afford to give the enemy an edge.

"This is our fight Zoisite." Mina grit out, pulling against his strength, the chain around his body straining as she tried to bring him back to her.

Serena's mind was working too fast, too fast because it was making her scared, making her scared because she was realising something worse then Amy being missing, she was realising that without Amy to track them Lita and Ray might take too long. Without the genius they might not know where to look.

Zoisite laughed and Serena's muscles tensed. "No, your fight, Venus, is with my Youma." Serena saw the youma break back into action at its cue ramming into Mina without warning and the two figures where flung outside of the arcade, much as they had entered it. "My games are with these people." He murmured, his eyes fixed on Serena with a curious but amused expression. "Do you think you can outrun me for long, human?" He lunged, she escaped, her body springing upwards and she used his body as it passed below her to push herself away from the confined booth area.

It was something these people who knew her would never have seen before, but it didn't matter, she had to move, had to protect these people, and she had to survive because she was no use dead.

"You touched me." Zoisite growled, turning his attention to her and she could see he was livid, furious with the contact she had made. She backed three steps and then stopped knowing she needed the manoeuvring space to counter whatever he did next. She would not transform, she couldn't, it would risk them all too much, but she could give him more of a fight then he would ever expect from a simple human.

She wet her lips and set her stance, ready for a fight, the kind she had never partaken in, the kind Lita would throw herself into with abandon, one where she had nothing to fall back on, but herself.

She would have liked to be witty, even dramatic, but instead she had to dodge the next attack, her body landing on one of the tables much as Mina's had a few minutes ago. Serena glanced, it was all she could afford, to her friend outside and the battle that had escalated between a youma and soldier.

Another dodge, this time missing Zoisites power attack as it crashed against the arcade mirror wall, sending shards of glass across its cowering patrons. Thinking of friends Serena glanced to the backpack, Amy's, Mercury's, but she couldn't ask where the girl was, that had to wait for now, had to wait until Mina had freed herself and called the others.

Serena moved when the next attack came and fumbled, Zoisite catching up and compensating for her speed. A shard sliced across her stomach and she fell with momentum and pain, her body crashing into one of the watching people. She went to move, went to get herself out of harms way when pain ripped through her senses and she was yanked back by her hair. She tried to spin an attack on Zoisite, knowing he had her and missed, her hand being captured by his in a hard bitting hold.

"Why do you run when you haven't a chance?" He asked, a little thoughtful and she sneered at him then, caught in his hold, trapped and maybe going to die she sneered.

"Because I will never surrender to vile scum like you." She ground out with venom and he looked only mildly surprised.

"I'm going to kill you, you know?" He asked, almost conversationally and she only glared back. If she died today she would be certain he got nothing but her blood from her. She would give him no other surrender. "That hero out there-" his head jerked towards Mina and her battle "-she wont save you. She's going to be dead soon enough anyway."

Something told Serena she was weakening, though she wasn't sure why, she was weakening in this bastards hold and he knew it as well. The sick little smirk of his gave it away. "But you? I'm going to drain you." He whispered and she realised he already was, already her energy was being pulled from her, dragged from her very being. "I'm going to drain every drop of life energy out of you, and then I'm going to make more of those-" again he jerked his head to the youma and she did everything she could to stay still, to glare at him despite the energy leaving her. In human form she was nothing to match him, nothing to even try and compete, she should have known that. "I'm doing it already, you know?" Still he sounded conversational and she just watched him back. "Draining the life from you."

"I know." She replied, her voice soft, fading and she just prayed Mina would survive, and Amy, and Lita and Ray. If they survived they could keep fighting them, these monsters, she'd never been a good enough leader anyway. Right now she could transform, but what good would it do? She was never a match for any of them, and she would only endanger her friends further. Besides, she could barely keep her eyes open, things starting to blur.

"I wonder how long you have left?" Zoisite murmured.

"Let her go." Broke the haze. Words ground out by a hard human, male, voice. Serena didn't even think she could turn to see who was trying to save her. But she felt a flutter of gratitude all the same.

"Don't," she slurred, nearly inaudible "they'll be here soon." Her sisters, they would come, and nobody had to be a hero but them, no body needed to save her. She didn't think they would be there in time for her, but didn't mind, as long as everyone else was fine, then she'd be okay, she'd be happy.

"I said-"

"I heard you." Zoisite replied his voice angry and Serena felt the grip on her loosening, felt the tendrils of theft slow down, her energy leaving at a slower rate now.

"Then do what I said." The man ground out, rage in his voice, also some sort of shake in it Serena had never heard before. It was a bit scary to hear that kind of emotion in his voice, even if she couldn't quite figure out who he was.

"And if I don't?" Zoisite sneered, all amusement and she felt the grip tightening again, as if he had only just remembered what he was doing with her. She raised a hand this time, clutching at the one connected to her, trying to pry it off in a strange weak attempt.

"I'll make you let her go." Was the hard reply. Serena nearly laughed, it was so strange hearing Darien so expressive and so protective of her.

Then all at once she realised who was talking, who was interrupting and drawing attention to himself. She jerked awake, "Darien!" escaping her mouth in horror. He had to shut up, had to hide. Didn't the moron know she loved him and it would hurt her more if he died then if she did?

"Your trying my patience boy. I'm having fun, and it wouldn't be wise to interrupt me-"

Serena had time to know something was heading their way before she saw the object in the corner of her eye. She had time to know it was going to hit before the silver knife had dug into Zoisites shoulder, and then she had time to realise she had been released before she hit the wall she was flung at.

There was a noise of anger from Zoisite and she knew only one thing; he was going to hurt Darien.

It didn't matter that she was bleeding, that her back was cut from the mirror it had slammed against. It didn't matter that she had so little energy left. Nothing but instinct moved her, nothing but the need to protect a loved one and she did what she had to. She stood and she responded.

"Moon Celestial Destruction!" Sprung from her mouth and power she never harnessed as a human slammed out of her outstretched hands, ramming into the back of Zoisite before he even reached the ready Darien. Zoisite stumbled, Zoisite fell. A crowd of shocked people didn't have time to look at her.

Then Serena screamed, pain pinching her hard, her heart screaming just like she was, and she fell to the table top she stood on, clutching at her chest, trying to calm the pain, trying to do anything. She couldn't think, couldn't comprehend, just knew the pain was too much, that she had to be dying. She didn't care that her hands where glowing white, that Zoisite was standing already, that the crowd of people who all knew her name where staring, or that Darien was frozen, staring at her. All that mattered was the pain, because beyond it nothing could exist. Her heart felt too big, like it was pushing out against her ribs and into her lungs. She tried to hold it in, didn't know what was happening, but it hurt and she couldn't think. She needed her friends, they could always help, she needed them but she couldn't think to call them. It was all driven away by the pressure she couldn't ignore, the pressure that made her chest feel like it would explode. And then, like a blessing from a god, she fainted into a painless world of dark.

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**If you read it, please take the time to review it. Thanks heaps! Kimra**


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